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Software · head to head

Cisco Duo vs Nessus

Cisco Duo logo

Cisco Duo

Software

Trusted access for all users, all devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nessus logo

Nessus

Software

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cisco Duo free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users; Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cisco Duo and Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where Cisco Duo and Nessus differ
AttributeCisco DuoNessus
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWebDesktop, Api
FoundedUnknown2002

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cisco Duo

Nothing recorded that Nessus does not also cover.

Only in Nessus

  • Vulnerability scanning
  • Configuration auditing
  • Malware detection
  • Web application scanning
  • Cloud scanning
  • Compliance checks
  • Patch auditing
  • Pre-built policies

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cisco Duo

No use cases recorded yet. See the Cisco Duo review.

Nessus

  • Scanning hosts and applications for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurationsnot Cisco Duo
  • Running compliance and configuration audits against a defined scopenot Cisco Duo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cisco Duo

  • Free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users
  • Licenses cannot be bought individually above the free tier: under 100 users they are sold in increments of 10, and over 100 users in increments of 25
  • Duo Premier, the top tier with the most adaptive access controls, costs $9 per user per month on top of the per-increment purchase requirement

Nessus

  • Nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier
  • Multi year terms are the only discount route, at $9,330.95 for two years and $13,637.54 for three
  • It is a single user scanner, so team workflows mean migrating to another Tenable product
  • Tenable One vulnerability management is priced separately, starting at $3,500 a year for 100 assets

Pricing, plan by plan

Cisco Duo

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cisco Duo review.

Nessus

Free
  • Nessus Essentials (Free)Free
    • 16 IP addresses
    • Vulnerability scanning
    • Configuration auditing
  • Nessus Professional$2990/year
    • Unlimited IPs
    • Compliance checks
    • Live results
  • Nessus Expert$5290/year
    • All Pro features
    • External attack surface
    • Cloud infrastructure scanning

Which should you pick?

Choose Cisco Duo if

  • You want to start without paying.
Cisco Duo review

Choose Nessus if

  • You need vulnerability scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Api.
  • You also want configuration auditing.
Nessus review

Questions people ask

Is Cisco Duo or Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. Cisco Duo starts at Free and Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cisco Duo or Nessus?
Cisco Duo starts at Free and Nessus at Free.
Does Cisco Duo or Nessus run on more platforms?
Cisco Duo runs on Web. Nessus runs on Desktop, Api.
Can I use Cisco Duo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Cisco Duo do that Nessus cannot?
Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning.
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